Course description- all courses

Course Description - All Courses

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Course Information

All Courses

All are 6-credit course except the following:
*PSYC0055 and PSYC0056 are 3-credit course
*PSYC3007 and PSYC3008 are 12-credit course

PSYC1001. Introduction to psychology (6 credits)
Discussion of basic concepts in psychology and a preliminary survey of representative work carried out in various areas of psychological investigation, together with an investigation at some length of one such area.
Assessment: 100% coursework
Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1002 or PSYC1003 are not allowed to take this course.

PSYC1002. How the mind works: explorations in basic thinking processes (6 credits)
We are all fascinated by the achievements of the human mind or brain. But we may also often ask ourselves how we can do things better, for example, remember more efficiently. This course will help us to understand more about the ways in which we solve problems, how we develop our abilities to communicate through language, and how we think creatively. It will help us to answer questions about why we forget things, how we manage to see things in the world around us, why we sleep and what our dreams mean. We will look at the ways in which the human brain operates, and how it manages to do such amazing things, through reference to research findings, theories and our own practical work. Lectures will include class demonstrations and activities, as well as videos, presented in a way to enhance your interest in, and memory of, what is already a fascinating area.
Assessment: 50% coursework, 50% examination.
Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1001 are not allowed to take this course.

PSYC1003. Psychology and life: personality and social influence (6 credits)
Through lectures and a series of stimulating class activities, students in this course will learn the latest research discoveries in motivation and emotion, human development, intelligence, personality, psychological testing, stress and health, abnormal psychological functioning, psychotherapy, social attraction, social influence and social competence. The course is intended to enhance the development of self-understanding and social competence.
Eligibility: Students taking or having taken PSYC1001 are not allowed to take this course.

PSYC1004. Introduction to quantitative methods in psychology (6 credits)
This course adopts a practical approach to teaching the analytical aspects of research techniques in psychology. It is designed to provide students with the basic background in research design and data analysis. The logic of statistical inference and scientific explanation, the merits and limitations of quantitative approaches to the study of psychological phenomena, and research ethics will all be discussed. Permission of Department Head is required for enrollment. Priority will be given to students planning to major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.

PSYC0001. Research methods in psychology (6 credits)
For candidates admitted in or before the academic year 2005-2006
This course adopts a practical approach to teaching the analytical aspects of research techniques in psychology. It is designed to provide students with the basic background in research design and data analysis. The logic of statistical inference and scientific explanation, the merits and limitations of quantitative approaches to the study of psychological phenomena, and research ethics will all be discussed.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002 or PSYC1003.

PSYC0002. Psychological testing and measurement (6 credits)
This course surveys the major concepts and techniques in the field of psychometrics, and provides students with some hands‑on experience with commonly used tests. Topics covered include: the context of testing and measurement; the testing process; test standardization; reliability and validity; intelligence and its appraisal; personality assessment; special domain testing; occupational applications; large‑scale measurements; ethics and prospects.
Assessment: 100% coursework
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0005. Introduction to counselling and therapeutic psychology (6 credits)
Provides a theoretical foundation for students who wish to learn the fundamentals of counselling or to explore their potential for professional training in mental health. Some experiential learning will be used. Major approaches; skills and practice; ethics and limitations of counselling. Working with various clinical and non‑clinical populations. Cultural values and socio‑political contexts. Outcome and process research. Students with personality and abnormal psychology knowledge preferred.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0007. Cognitive psychology (6 credits)
This course covers how humans learn to deal with information from the environment. Topics include various aspects of perception, memory, concept structure and learning, and thinking. Students will be involved in conducting experiments on cognitive functioning as part of the coursework.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or PSYC1002; and PSYC0001 or PSYC1004. (BCogSc students exempt from PSYC1004)

PSYC0008. Advanced cognitive psychology (6 credits)
This course covers some recent approaches in the field of cognitive psychology. Topics may include the cognitive unconscious in perception and memory, conditioning versus cognitive learning in humans, neural networks and information processing, as well as other topics reflecting the interests of the teacher. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: PSYC1004 and either PSYC0007 or PSYC0051. (BCogSc students exempt from PSYC1004)

PSYC0009. Life-span developmental psychology (6 credits)
This course provides an introduction to developmental psychology from a life-span perspective. The topics include: basic concepts and theories of human development; research methodology and issues in the study of developmental change; biological, environmental and social influences on development; processes of physical development over the life-span; attachment and emotional development; development of perception, language, cognition and morality; development of personality and social relationships.
Assessment: 70% coursework, 30% examination.
Prerequisites: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003

PSYC0010. History and issues in psychology (6 credits)
An examination of some of the major issues and controversies in the history of psychology which are important for the current debate and its continuation.
Assessment: 50% coursework, 50% examination.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0016. The psychology of stress and health (6 credits)
This course adopts a biopsychosocial approach in exploring current issues and research on stress and health. Special emphasis is placed on the Hong Kong situation. Topics covered include: concepts of stress; the roles of cognition, personality and physiology in the stress response; social stressors; coping, stress management and health promotion; concepts of health and wellness; cultural implications. Students in this course shall undertake independent research projects.
Assessment: 100% coursework.

PSYC0019. Psychology of personality (6 credits)
This course will critically examine and attempt a synthesis of a number of theories of personality as exemplified in the lives of some of the significant figures in the field. The relationship of specific theories to practical applications, personality assessment and psychotherapeutic techniques may be included. The major aims of the course are to provide a survey of the breath and complexity of this field and to provide a perspective from which to examine assumptions about human nature and the evaluation of behaviour.
Assessment: 50% coursework, 50% examination.
Prerequisites: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0020. Fundamentals of social psychology (6 credits)
The course gives an overview of the field which studies the behaviour of individuals in social contexts. It covers social perception, social cognition, social motivation, attitudes and attitude change, relationship between attitude and behaviour, aggression, helping, interpersonal attraction, social influence on individual behaviour and group dynamics. The impact of Chinese culture on various social behaviours will form part of the discussion.
Assessment: 100% coursework
Prerequisite: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002 or PSYC1003.

PSYC0022. Biological psychology (6 credits)
This course provides an introduction to biological aspects of behaviour. The topics include: biological bases of behaviour, development, learning, memory, and abnormal psychology; the nervous system; processes of brain maturation; psychophysiology. Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002.

PSYC0032. Engineering psychology (6 credits)
This course examines how knowledge in experimental/cognitive psychology is applied to the design of man-machine interface, tools, games, consumer products, etc. Students will appreciate how better designs lead to positive outcomes such as higher user satisfaction, lower accident rate, and lower job stress. Topics include human skills, motor theory, human-computer interaction, safety and health, work design, attention, and performance. Most recent psychological studies on advanced technologies such as virtual reality and three-dimensional displays will be introduced. Students will also learn from site visits how such designs are implemented in real settings.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: PSYC1001 and PSYC1004 (B.Cog.Sc. students exempt from PSYC1004)

PSYC0035. Introduction to educational psychology (6 credits)
This course focuses on how psychological theories are applied to learning, teaching, and facilitation of human growth. The topics include major developmental theories and their application to learning and instruction, learning theories from both behavioral and cognitive traditions, effective teaching methods and practices, learners’ individual and group differences, achievement motivation, and assessment. Students will be involved in learning activities that require self-reflection and integration of daily life experience.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0036. Special topics in psychology (6 credits)
This course provides an opportunity to study in some depth an area of psychology of interest to students and a staff member alike. Individual topics may have special requirements for eligibility. Students taking this course may select one topic from the list of topics to be announced in the semester immediately prior to that in which they are taken.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002 or PSYC1003.

PSYC0038. Psychology of language and bilingualism (6 credits)
A study of the processes involved in language comprehension and production, including the acquisition of a native as well as second language. The cognitive bases of language learning and use, the psychology of reading and reading disabilities, the comparison of psychological aspects of the Chinese language and other languages. Cognitive functions of the bilingual, the bilingual brain, psychological factors in second language learning.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0051. Perception (6 credits)
An introduction to sensation and perception, with an emphasis on the psychology of seeing. Specific topics include the following: examination of the functional properties of sensory systems (e.g., auditory system, color vision, vestibular system, touch and kinaesthesia); phenomenology of sensation and perception; psychophysical limits of perceptual systems; goals of sensory coding; structure and evolution of sensory systems; theories of perception. Perceptual experiments will be conducted by students in laboratory classes.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002

PSYC0052. Advanced social psychology (6 credits)
This advanced laboratory course is designed for students interested in learning how to conduct studies in social psychology. Students will develop skills in critically evaluating current theoretical controversies and methodological paradigms. Special attention is given to theoretical, methodological, and measurement issues such as critical thinking in social psychology, social research design, proposal writing, and research ethics. This course is seminar format with the expectation that students will participate actively and on occasion help to lead discussion. Some combination of readings, written assignments, and oral presentation is required. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003; and PSYC1004; and either PSYC0019 or PSYC0020.

PSYC0053. Advanced research in industrial/organizational psychology (6 credits)
This research-based course focuses on specific topics in industrial/organizational psychology that are pertinent to the latest economic development in Hong Kong and in the Greater China Region. Psychometric assessment of various job attitudes, aptitudes, and work-related personality will be one such topic. Students will develop their knowledge and hands-on skills in selected areas covered in the introductory course on Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1004 and PSYC0063

PSYC0054. Human neuropsychology (6 credits)
This course introduces to you the basic principles of Neuropsychology. The objectives of the course are: (1) to introduce concepts of brain-behavior connection via reviewing the neuro-anatomical and neuropsychological mechanisms underlying some common brain disorders, (2) to introduce research methods employed to understand brain-behavior relationships. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: PSYC1004 and PSYC0022. (B.Cog.Sc. students exempt from PSYC1004)

PSYC0055. Research internship in psychology I (3 credits)
Students will have an opportunity to learn to do research as an intern in ongoing empirical research projects under a teacher’s supervision in the Department of Psychology. The internship includes participating in lab meetings or meeting individually with the supervisor, reading relevant theoretical and empirical articles, assisting in ongoing empirical research projects, and writing an internship report. Information about research projects offering internship placements and application procedure will be available in the Psychology Department webpage. Internship I and II can be done with the same supervisor or two different supervisors.
Assessment: 100% coursework.

PSYC0056. Research internship in psychology II (3 credits)
Please refer to Research internship in psychology I for the course description. Internship I and II can be done with the same supervisor or two different supervisors.
Assessment: 100% coursework.

PSYC0057. Internship in applied child development (6 credits)
(this course is only available for students minor in Applied Child Development)
The internship will provide first-hand experience working with young children as teachers' aides and opportunities for observing children. In addition, you are to enroll concurrently in a seminar programme focusing on your ongoing field experiences, Educational/Social/Legal Policy, and Advocacy.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC0009 and EDUC8001 and EDUC8002

PSYC0059. Current issues in applied developmental psychology (6 credits)
This course will explore application of developmental psychology to issues pertaining to improving the well-being of children and their families. Topics include: The quality of child care, patterns and ranges of normal child behaviors, child-rearing practices, developmentally challenged children, legal, and public-policy issues.
Assessment: 100% coursework
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0060. Research and quantitative methods in psychology (6 credits)
This course is designed to extend students’ quantitative and research skills so that they are prepared to conduct their own independent empirical research. It will build on what students already learned in PSYC1004 to cover more advanced quantitative methods commonly used in Psychology
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003; and PSYC1004.

PSYC0061. Advanced issues in perception (6 credits)
An advanced course that explores findings from both recent and classical research on human perceptual systems. Specific attention will be given to - though not limited to - computational models, psychophysical findings, neurobiological findings. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: PSYC1004 and PSYC0051; or with permission of the instructor. (BCogSc students exempt from PSYC1004).

PSYC0062. Introduction to Psychopathology (6 credits) (formerly PSYC0034)
This course will provide a broad exposure to both theory and practice in clinical psychology. It is a foundation course in mental health, counselling and other psychological services. Also it will provide the information and understanding required to make informed decisions about how to cope with the many social problems connected with mental disorders. A wide array of types of mental disorders will be examined. Important themes will be emphasized such as the continuum in behaviour from mental health to mental illness, the diathesis-stress and nature-nurture models and epidemiology.
Assessment: 70% coursework, 30% examination.
Prerequisites: PSYC1001 or PSYC1002 or PSYC1003.

PSYC0063. Industrial/organizational psychology (6 credits)
This course surveys the complex relationships that exist between people, their social environment, and their work. Topics include job analysis, personnel selection, personnel training, vocational guidance, work evaluation, work motivation, job satisfaction, leadership, group relations, conflicts, organization design, occupational stress, and errors.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0064. Advanced Developmental Psychology (6 credits)
This course will introduce you to recent and classical research findings and methods in developmental psychology. It will provide hands-on experience with the research process by having you design and implement your own independent empirical research project. It will focus on key issues facing researchers, such as problems of observing and interpreting, generating testable questions, validity, research design and measurement. Students will each do an independent empirical research project. Priority will be given to UG students major in psychology.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisites: PSYC1004 and PSYC0009.

PSYC0065. Health Psychology (6 credits)
This course acquaints students with the realm of health psychology. Students will gain (a) an understanding of the ways psychosocial factors influence health concerns and healthcare utilization, and (b) familiarity with basic concepts that guide the work of health professionals. Topics covered in this course include health behaviors, coping with health-related stress, social support and health, psychoimmunology, management of chronic illnesses, and patient-practitioner interaction.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either PSYC1001 or both PSYC1002 and PSYC1003.

PSYC0066. Foundations in Cognitive Science (6 credits)
This course allows students to gain an understanding of the workings of the mind in the context of the technological advances that are increasingly shaping our lives and our society. The course introduces students to the domain, goals and methods of Cognitive Science, showing how different disciplines converge in their enquiry into how the brain works. Lectures will present case studies highlighting research findings which show how similar questions about the functioning of the human mind are answered from the perspective of each contributing discipline.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: LING1001 or PHIL1002 or PSYC1001.

PSYC0067. Seminars in Cognitive Science (6 credits)
This course is a tutorial-based reading course in specialist areas of cognitive science research and interest. It will include presentations and group discussion of research and issues of interest within cognitive science, providing an opportunity for students to examine critically the cognitive science approach to understanding intelligent systems.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC0066.

PSYC0068. Research Project in Cognitive Science (6 credits)
This course comprises an independent research study in an area of cognitive science of the candidates' choice, subject to availability of supervision. Students will read within an area of study, to be agreed with their instructor, and write an extended essay or research proposal.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC0066.

PSYC0069. Psychology of Motivation (6 credits)
This course provides an introduction to theories and research on human motivation. The course will cover a variety of topics including: psychological needs, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, goal setting and goal striving, personal efficacy beliefs, self-regulation, academic value, and role of motivation in optimal functioning, achievement, and well-being.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001

PSYC0070. Love, Marriage, Sex and Family (6 credits)
Throughout their lifespan, human beings are involved in various kinds of personal relationships. People make friends, fall in love, break up, get married, and raise a family. Some go through divorce, and some have to make decisions on cohabitation, adoption, and abortion. This course is an application of social psychological knowledge in the analyses of these relationships and events. The purpose of this course is to enable students to use a psychological perspective to rethink (or start to think) about such intimate relationships. After taking this course, students will be better informed of the psychosocial (and to some extent, legal and medical) implications of decisions they will be making with regard to their own intimate relationships, and be better equipped to advise others on the subject.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001.

PSYC0071. Judgements and Decision Making (6 credits)
To understand the psychological factors involved with human judgment and decision making. We will contrast human decision making with normative theories of rational choice, and survey psychological evidence of systematic decision biases and errors in judgments. We will discuss the heuristics and biases approach to judgment and decision errors, and critiques of this approach. Real world examples will be presented from the domains of medicine, economics, and consumer choice.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: PSYC1001.

PSYC3001. Thesis in Psychology (6 credits)
(For psychology major) An independent empirical investigation of a psychological problem. Thesis research will be supervised individually by teaching members of the Department. Eligible students will be invited by the Department to apply for admissions into this course. Approval by Departmental Head is required for admissions into this course.
Assessment: 100% coursework

For candidates admitted in the academic year 2006-2007 and 2007-2008
Prerequisite: either (PSYC1001 and PSYC1004) or (PSYC1002 and PSYC1003 and PSYC1004); and PSYC0060; and
Co-requisite: PSYC0008 or PSYC0052 or PSYC0053 or PSYC0054 or PSYC0061 or PSYC0064.

PSYC3006. Independent study in psychology (6 credits)
For candidates admitted in the academic year 2006-2007 and 2007-2008
(For psychology msjor) Students will each do an independent empirical research project; weekly tutorial attendance for research supervision is required. Approval by Departmental Head is required for admissions into this course.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either (PSYC1001 and PSYC1004) or (PSYC1002 and PSYC1003 and PSYC1004); and PSYC0060.

PSYC3007. Independent study in psychology (12 credits)
For candidates admitted in or after the academic year 2008-2009
(For psychology major) Students will each do an independent empirical research project; weekly tutorial attendance for research supervision is required. The project write-up should be about 9,000 to 10,000 words (exclusive of tables, bibliographies and appendices). Approval by Departmental Head is required for admissions into this course.
Assessment: 100% coursework.
Prerequisite: either (PSYC1001 and PSYC1004) or (PSYC1002 and PSYC1003 and PSYC1004); and PSYC0060.

PSYC3008. Thesis in psychology (12 credits)
For candidates admitted in or after the academic year 2008-2009.
(For psychology major) An independent empirical investigation of a psychological problem. Thesis research will be supervised individually by teaching members of the Department. The thesis should be about 9,000 to 10,000 words (exclusive of tables, bibliographies and appendices). Eligible students will be invited by the Department to apply for admissions into this course. Approval by Departmental Head is required for admissions into this course.
Prerequisite: either (PSYC1001 and PSYC1004) or (PSYC1002 and PSYC1003 and PSYC1004); and PSYC0060; and
Co-requisite: PSYC0008 or PSYC0052 or PSYC0053 or PSYC0054 or PSYC0061 or PSYC0064.

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